


Bond

by KeoProductions



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-06-04 13:59:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6661321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeoProductions/pseuds/KeoProductions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Reader is the school reporter, and the two new boys are perfect for writing about. There's something weird about them, and the Reader is determined to find out what.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Short Story: Bond, starring Lu Han & Zitao. WARNING: Mild Language and Trigger Warning. I hope you enjoy!

It's just like you to be fascinated with how someone looks. It's just like you to stare at someone, wishing you could stand a little closer to get a better look. It's just like you to follow someone after school, to see what they're up to, especially when everyone's been making rumors about them being... different.

You ARE the school reporter, after all. You need to discover the latest drama, uncover the biggest break-ups, and find out everyone's secrets in order to get everyone in on the newspaper. For this same reason, though, you didn't have any friends. No one trusted you enough to be personal with you.

Even though you understood why, it still made you sad sometimes. You didn't have anyone to tell when you got a good grade, or when you had an idea of what to do with the next article. You didn't even have anyone to talk to about your latest crush, which was what made you saddest most of all. (Not that you had a crush.) (But it would still be nice.)

But there were perks to being friendless, you tell yourself as you tip-toe around the corner of a brick building, keeping your target in sight. Being friendless meant you could sneak around wherever you wanted without a distraction or nuisance.

With your camera at the ready, you track the two new students. They've been the rage for the past week, and you could understand why. Lu Han, perfect at all angles, had a boyish charm that made all of the girls fawn over him, even when he was being a douche. Zitao, his best friend, was handsome without even trying to be. You've ran into him a couple of times, just leaning against the wall or standing in line at lunch, and you've been awestruck everytime.

You've tried to take pictures of them, or follow them before, but they always managed to slip away right before you could. Which is why you were so determined to catch them this time. It's been a week since they've been here, and you haven't been able to get ONE thing on them.

What could they be hiding? They have no reason to stick to themselves at school; literally EVERYONE wants to be their friends, even the jocks. But the most they do is be polite and shoot friendly smiles. You've never seen them have a genuine conversation with someone, save for each other. They get to school after everyone else, too. There was something strange about them, and you were going to find out what.

They take a left turn into an alley up ahead, and you quickly scurry over there so you don't lose them. The road was empty, and the buildings were deserted, forcing you to be even quieter than you normally have to in fear of getting caught. (The best pictures are taken without notice, after all.)

When you peek your head around the corner, you're hit with three things: The smell of blood, cold, immediate fear, and the realization of why these two friends stick to themselves when Zitao's mouth opens wide and his canine teeth stretch out of his gums until they're pointed spears. You watch with a sickening fascination as he plunges his teeth into the neck of a stray cat, which automatically goes limp in his hands.

You've found out their secret. They're vampires. No one will believe you if you tell them, which is why you lift your camera in front of your face to bring evidence.

But they're not in the screen. All you see is a floating cat, having its blood drained from its body until (you assume) it's emptied. You take the picture anyways. Maybe you could write something about paranormal stray cats.

Being the idiot you are, you forgot to take off the flash, and the bright light illuminates the entire alleyway. When you lower your camera, the cat is no longer what has their attention.

"Crud." You swear, turning heel and darting down the street. You've never run so fast in your life, and you're grateful for it when you crash through the school's front doors, and you collapse onto the floor.

With shaking hands, you go through your pictures, making sure you had it. It was surreal, seeing a floating cat, but it was there. Someone will think it was photoshop, but you couldn't please everyone. You know that most of your school will love the idea of something strange going on, and that your business will be back in gear.

 

* * *

 

 

You don't know why you thought you'd be safe with so many people around, but you were wrong because the moment Lu Han and Zitao saw you at lunch they cornered you before you could throw away your tray.

"When school's over, we'll pick you up at the entrance." Lu Han states simply, staring you down. "If you don't show up, you'll be next."

YOU'LL BE NEXT. He means that they plan to kill you if you don't listen to them. The irrational half of you wonders what it would be like to die by a vampire's fangs, while the more rational side of you screams that you'd better listen if you want to live.

You nod shakily, intimidated by their once charming height, and then they walk away. You stand there, dumb founded, until you hear the girls at the nearest table (the plastics) whisper to each other.

"Did they just talk to HER?" One says. "That nosy girl?" Says another. You throw your tray away and walk out of the room just as you hear, "Did you see the way she cowered? She must not know what it's like to actually be friends with someone!"

You normally don't let things like that effect you, but that last one stings. Clutching the camera around your neck, you walk to your next class.

 

* * *

 

 

The seventh period bell rings, signaling the end of class. Your classmates hurry to go home for the day, while you sit stagnant in your seat, irresolute about whether or not to leave through the back entrance.

After your teacher gives you a weird look, you decide to face them. It wasn't like they'd suddenly stop pursuing you if you didn't show up; it was better now than later (you think).

"We thought you ran away," Lu Han smiles boyishly at you when you walk out the doors. You catch a few envious stares from passing girls, but ignore them. "You were smart not to." He says it with a smile, but you still caught the underlying threat there.

"Let's go." Zitao says to Lu Han, gandering at the ogling crowd. Nodding, Lu Han motions for you to follow them, and you hang your head as you do, wondering what was going to happen to you. Would they murder you? Suck your blood? Or do both?

Even through these racing thoughts, you remain perceptive of where they are leading you. If anything does happen, you may have the chance to escape, like last time. You recognize the street they turn on; it was the one you caught them killing that cat on.

"You gave us quite a shock this morning." Lu Han says calmly in front of you, sauntering into the alleyway with Zitao. "Though, I imagine you didn't get what you wanted on that camera." He turns and looks you dead in the eye. You suppress a shiver.

"Y-You're right." You say. "So you don't have to kill me." You stare at them, because they stare at you, and then Lu Han laughs loudly, clutching his stomach and smacking Zitao's arm. Zitao rubs the spot he hit and pouts at him.

"'Kill you'?" Lu Han reiterates. "Do you really think we'd kill you?" You cross your arms nervously, returning his stare.

"You said I'd be next!" You counter, fearfully. Lu Han shakes his head, like he can't believe you would think such a thing. (He couldn't be THAT surprised. Between the two of you, HE was the monster.)

"We don't KILL anything." Lu Han states. "We just borrow blood when we need it."

"I saw you kill that cat earlier!" You say, stepping forward, and Zitao glares at you, so you back down.

"We didn't kill it," Zitao argues. "I just borrowed enough blood to get me by. It's still alive and walking." Vampires with standards? You've never heard of such a thing! (But then, you've also never heard of real vampires.)

"Anyways," Lu Han's face loses all emotion. "You won't tell anyone what you saw, or else, like I said, you'll be next." You hide your trembling hands by keeping your arms crossed, though you can't do anything about your shaking legs.

"It's not like I have proof," You tell them. "No one will believe me if I report it, they'll just see a floating cat." Which could be easily vilified as photoshop, though you don't even know how to use that program.

"Good, then you shouldn't have a problem swearing that you won't tell." Lu Han says, advancing on you. You try to step back, but your legs are locked against your will. Lu Han's fingers brush against the side of your neck, his nail trailing down your jugular.

You stand there, flabbergasted. Here you are, possibly on the brink of death, and you can't even muster up the words to save yourself. "We don't kill", your bottom! The bad guy never admits it to his prey! But more than everything that disturbs you about this situation, what bothers you most is that you can't stop staring at Lu Han's eyes. You want to look away, but can't.

"Swear it." He says, harsher, and his nail digs into your skin. You squeeze your eyes shut, your fingers twisting your sleeves.

"On one condition," You blurt, even though you're in no position to be making deals. They don't interrupt you, so you keep talking. You aren't even sure what you want to say until it comes out of your mouth. "You guys have to be my friends."

...what did you just say?

"What did you just say?" Lu Han vocalizes your thoughts. "We have to be your... 'friends'?" Oh, here it goes, someone else is going to make fun of you, and it was your (soon to be) killer, too. You open your eyes and stare at your shoes shamefully.

"Yes." You say, unable to take it back. You never knew you were so desperate for a friend. (Because you never let yourself think about it.)

"That's really sad," Lu Han comments, removing his hand from your neck. "Don't you have any of your own?" It sounds rhetorical, so you don't answer, but he seems to be genuinely asking, because he waits for you to reply.

"No," You confess. "No one wants to be friends with the school reporter. They're all afraid I'll spill their secrets."

"I don't blame 'em." Zitao says. "Everything on your newspaper is someone else's business." You nod in earnest.

"It's what everyone wants to see." You say.

"I was expecting a 'don't come near me ever again' request, not a 'friend' request." Lu Han admits. "But whatever floats your boat." He takes your collar gently in his fist, pulling you forward slightly. "But," He say coldly, looking at you over his nose. "You'd better keep your promise."

He pushes you aside, and they walk past you until they're out of your sight.

 

* * *

 

  
School went about normally, which meant you were alone again and people were whispering about you, but you don't listen to them. This morning, at your locker, Lu Han and Zitao appeared at your side and greeted you like good friends do. (Causing MANY icy stares from your female peers.)

At lunch, they sat with you and made small talk, but whenever you tried to ask a personal question (your reporter side was coming out), they'd skillfully evade it by changing the topic. It was a strange mix of nice and weird having someone to talk to about things - especially when that someone could potentially end your life if they wanted to - but still overall nice.

When school ends, and you're leaving the front doors, Lu Han and Zitao are waiting for you. You feel a flicker of unexpected joy when you see them. Is this what it's like having friends? When you walk up to them, ready to tell them about your latest project, you stop short.

Lu Han looks at you seriously. "Does our deal extend past school hours?" He asks, and you can't help but feel the stab of disappointment. Of course, how could you forget so quickly? They were only doing this so you wouldn't open your mouth.

Sadly, you shake your head. "See you around, then." He says, kicking off the wall and turning heel, Zitao right behind him.

You walk home by yourself, and you feel a comfortable feeling of loneliness settle inside your chest. This was normal. You were alone.

Well, mostly alone. You walk the same way as the Plastics do (unfortunately), so they were always somewhere behind you while you walked. You don't think anything of it when they cross the street with you, and are caught off guard when they latch onto you, dragging you behind a building.

"Take her camera," The leader says, and one of her followers rips the chain off your neck, and the metal tears the flesh on your neck, spilling lines of blood. Pretending like they don't notice, they look through the pictures on your drive and giggle when the cat one comes up. "Look, she's so desperate for attention that she's turning to made-up stories." The leader laughs.

"Give my camera back to me." You say, reaching your hand out to snatch it from them. The girls push you back, knocking you down and you crash to the ground. They erupt in haughty laughter, throwing your camera at your feet, and you watch in horror as the lens smashes to pieces.

"Oops," The leader says. "I guess you won't be reporting anything anymore, will you?" The school wasn't so financially well off that they could supply you with a camera; you had worked up the money (from chores) and bought that yourself. You had a bond with it, and now it was shattered.

"How could you do this..?" You ask, hot tears spilling over your cheeks.

"I could ask you the same thing," The leader spits mercilessly. "How could you report that I cheated on my boyfriend? I had a guarantee rich future with that blockhead jock!" She says.

You glare at her through your blurry vision. "I saved him from realizing you were just using him, you sicko!" You shout at her, and she kicks her heel at you, deepening the cut on your already bleeding neck. You cry out in pain, curling away from her.

"You think you're so good, you homie hopper?" She asks, and her followers all "ooh" at her lamen's term for whore. She smirks at their support. "You probably bribed Lu Han and Zitao to talk to you, didn't you? You were just trying to get us riled up."

You grab her ankle and throw it away from your face, making her stumble back a little. "You're just jealous because people actually like me." You retort. "The only reason why you have friends is because you're plastic--"

"Don't talk to me like that!" She roars, lifting her leg to kick you again. You flinch, your arms coming up to cover your face, but the kick is interrupted.

"Stop it!" You gasp, recognizing the voice as Lu Han's. When you look over your arms, him and Zitao are stepping in between you and the girls. "What do you think you're doing? Do you think you have the right to treat someone like dirt?" He asks, and the leader didn't look as secure anymore. She was cowering at the sight of Lu Han's expression (which you couldn't see from your position).

"She was--" The leader starts. "She--" But she couldn't come up with a good reason. Lu Han growls at her.

"Leave." And they do, running like you always imagined they would if you could stand up for yourself. They're not even out of sight before Lu Han turns around and kneels in front of you, a worried look on his face. "What did they do to you?" He asks, his hand hovering over your hair, your shoulder, your legs.

"How did you know where I was?" You choke, wiping your cheeks. Lu Han looks like he doesn't want to say anything, but he forces it out anyways.

"We smelled blood." He says quietly. Then he sees it. Carefully, he lifts his hand up and moves the collar of your shirt away to look at your cuts. They weren't so deep that you needed a nurse, but deep enough to where they wouldn't stop bleeding unless treated properly. "What did they do to you?" He asks sadly.

"Lu Han, they broke her camera." Zitao says, and you see him picking up the pieces of the lens. Lu Han's eyes glisten when he looks back at you.

"Why did you come?" You shake your head, unable to understand. "You don't have to pretend like you care outside of school--"

"For goodness' sake, _____!" Lu Han exclaims in disbelief. "We're human, too, don't you know? We're not just going to let someone get bullied!" You want to point out that they're actually vampires, but decide against it and accept their kindness.

"Come on," Lu Han says, pulling you up with him when he stands. "I'll get you fixed up at my house." You shake your head quickly.

"My mom will be worried if I'm late." You try, but Lu Han was adamant, holding firmly onto your wrist.

"We'll just explain to her what happened." You want to say that you don't ever tell your mom about anything like this, but you feel like he'd just make a bigger deal out of it, so you drop it.

 

* * *

 

  
Lu Han's apartment was also Zitao's (which didn't surprise you), and though it was small, Zitao reassures you that it's big enough for the both of them (even though you didn't ask).

Lu Han sits you down on a bed on the far side of the room, and disappears in the bathroom for a few minutes until he comes out with a first aid kit. The blood has soaked your entire collar, and there was so much that you were starting to smell it. You don't understand why it was bleeding so much; it was literally just three thin cuts on your neck.

The lid pops open on the bed beside you, and the first thing he pulls out is antiseptic wipes. Without warning, he pushes it against your neck and you hiss, reflexively moving away, but he holds you still. He wipes at each cut tenderly, going over it ten times before switching it out with a different swab.

Zitao watches silently, and at first you mistake his blank expression for boredom, but soon realize he was trying to hide his hunger. Panicking, you glance at Lu Han, who was closer to you, in fear.

"Calm down," He demands hastily. "I can hear your heart beating." Unsure of how you could possibly calm down when you were bleeding in front of vampires, you close your eyes and pretend you aren't there. You pretend that you're with your camera, out by an ocean, and the salt water was making the cuts in your neck sting like alcohol. "Good..." Lu Han whispers when you manage to breathe properly.

The wipes move away, and are replaced with a cool gel that Lu Han rubs on with his index and middle fingers. After this, you hear the tear of bandaid packages, followed by the glueing sensation of him sticking one to each of your cuts.

"Thank you.." You utter when he finishes and stands to dispose of the bloody swabs.

"Don't mention it." He waves it off as he leaves, rummaging through a small closet. "Do you want a different shirt? I'm sure your mom will be less erratic if you're not covered in blood."

"You really don't have to..." You say, feeling guilty. They've already helped you so much.

"I said don't mention it." He throws out a t-shirt and Zitao catches it, then hands it to you. "Don't worry about returning it, it's too small for either of us now." It was a plain white shirt, and on the front of it said "Dance Like Everybody's Watching". How charming.

"Thank you." You say again, scurrying into their bathroom. "What do I do with my shirt?" You ask warily, tugging at the hems of it. You just wanted it off already.

"Leave it in there, we'll get rid of it." Zitao says, and you nod and close the door. You don't know why you were expecting blood sacks to be everywhere, like in the books, but it was a surprisingly normal bathroom.

_We're human, too, don't you know?_

You tell yourself not to judge a book by it's fangs anymore, because Lu Han and Zitao weren't the monsters you first made them out to be. You swiftly change shirts and left your old one by the bathtub.

When you open the door, the two vampires seem to be communicating non-verbally, because they were just gawking at one another until you step out into the room.

"Looks good." Lu Han smiles, giving you a thumbs up. "Zitao said he wants to cook dinner, so it'll be just me walking you home." He walks to the door as you gape at him.

"You don't have to," You start, but he lifts his hand and makes a face, like he was annoyed with your constant you-don't-have-to's.

"Let a man feel like he's doing something right, for once, will you?" He says light-heartedly when you walk out the door. Without arguing, you walk with him, side-by-side, towards your house. After a few minutes, Lu Han shifts uncomfortably because of the silence, and speaks up. "Why do they bully you?" He asks carefully, like he was afraid you might break, like your camera. (You realize that you left it behind that building.) (You also realize you don't care about it anymore, because you wouldn't get the money to ever fix it.)

"Their leader is mad at me because I busted her for cheating on her boyfriend," You tell him. "The others just follow her every command, like she's some goddess." Your shoes kick against the cement.

"That's despicable." He says. "That's never a good reason to hate someone." You glance at him when you cross the street.

"She's also angry because you and Zitao talked to me." Lu Han gapes at you in shock, and you laugh. "Did you forget that you're popular, or something?" You ask.

"We're popular?" Now you stare at him, but your look felt more condescending, like you were judging him for not even realizing his crowd of followers.

"Did you not realize?" You ask, animating with your hands. "It's kind of obvious." You turn the corner of a street. "It's part of why I was so set on making a report about you two." Something flashes across Lu Han's face, and the reporter in you tries to find out what it is, but it happens so fast that you can't pin-point it.

After a moment, he asks, "What was the other reason?"

"I can't stop staring at you." You say this as he catches you staring.

"Huh?" His eyes widen, and he leans forward a bit, as if he was unsure if he heard right.

"Do vampires have, like, pheromones, or something?" You ask curiously.

"No," He shakes his head. "Only when we bite something." His cheeks turn pink.

"Oh." You mumble.

OH.

Your entire face flushes red and you look away from him, unable to believe you just confessed that. You didn't think it was weird, because if he had his pheromones working, then of course you'd be drawn to him. But he said it didn't work like that, which means what you said was tantamount to you thinking he was attractive.

"Th-thanks for walking me!" You squeak, grateful that you were now at the doorstep of your house. "I'll see you tomorrow!" You exclaim, turning around to open the door and run inside. Lu Han stops you, shutting the door with his hand and standing close to your backside. You hold back a gasp when he doesn't move away.

"_____..." He mutters. "To a vampire, every human smells different." You aren't sure why this has any relevance to his slowly lowering hand, which tickles the side of your bandaged neck. "And every human smells different to every vampire, but we determine what kind of person someone is by their scent." He says. "Those girls who hurt you smelled like eggs and turnips." Your face scrunches as you try to imagine that smell.

"Okay." You say shakily, unsure of what to do or think. Your heart was pounding, and you were sure that Lu Han could hear it this close, but you didn't feel in danger like before.

"To me, you smell like nothing." He whispers softly, his palm sliding to your shoulder. Your heart beats faster. "You probably don't know what that means, but it's fine." He says. "Maybe someday, you will."

Not knowing what else to do, you nod, and Lu Han steps away. You can't find the courage to turn around and look at him, so instead, you stare at your hand, tight around the doorknob, and listen to the pounding of your heart.

 

* * *

 

 

When Lu Han gets back to his apartment, Zitao is setting the food on the table whilst removing his apron.

"Food's ready." Zitao says, pulling out two chairs and falling into one of them.

"Smell's good." Lu Han smiles, sitting down adjacent to his friend.

"Did something happen?" Zitao asks Lu Han, sparing a glance from his food to look at him.

"Not really," Lu Han mumbles, picking at his food shyly. "I just... remember when you told me you thought _____ smelled like lilacs and cucumbers?" Zitao hums as he shoves a spoonful of food into his mouth.

"And you said you didn't know what she smelled like to you." Zitao comfirms the memory. "What about it?"

"While I was walking her home, I realized what she smells like." Lu Han closes his eyes, remembering the lack of sent. "I didn't believe it at first, but then she.." He opens his eyes again, and he could see that Zitao was sitting on the edge of his seat, curious. "She smells like nothing to me."

Zitao nearly falls out of his chair, and Lu Han has to suppress a laugh. Zitao tries so hard to be cool and collected around others, but when he's comfortable around you, he overreacts and gets goofy. "Really?" He splutters. "NOTHING? Don't you know what that means--"

"YES, Zitao, I'm not green at this!" Lu Han jerks, his food falling off of his spoon by accident. He awkwardly scoops it back up and puts it in his mouth before it could fall again. "What do I do?"

"Well," Zitao leans back against his chair, staring at the ceiling fan for help. "You could always tell her."

"I will," Lu Han tells him. "But not anytime soon." He shakes his head. "I still can't believe it, she's my SOULMATE."

Lu Han sits there, trying to resurface what his father had said about soulmates, but it was all hazy. He'd have to visit him and ask about it in person if he wanted an answer.

"Let's just eat and go to sleep," Zitao says, sensing his friend's uneasiness. "We don't have any homework tonight, right?" Lu Han shakes his head in reply. "Then we can worry about this tomorrow."

But Lu Han can't ignore this as easily as Zitao can. It's impossible for him to rid his mind of it, and the memory of your heart beating pleasantly in his ears when he was at your door. He lay in his bed that night, staring at the ceiling in the dark, the same thought going through his head.

What was he going to do?

(The End... or The Beginning?)


	2. #2

Lu Han wakes up with a gasp, cold sweat dripping down his neck and into his ivory tank top. It’s only a couple more seconds before he hears Zitao do the same. They both sit upright, staring at each other with wide eyes.

Someone’s losing a lot of blood.

Lu Han can smell it; the intoxicating scent of metal fills his lungs and clogs his nostrils, and he barely makes it to the front door of his apartment before the banging starts.

He turns to Zitao, using his eyes to ask him why he can’t figure out who it is. Zitao makes an struggled noise at him, covering his mouth as his fangs protrude from his lips, forcing himself to back away as he mutters, “–_____.”

And then it makes sense why Lu Han couldn’t identify the person on the other side of his door – it’s none other than his soulmate.

Yanking it open, you nearly collapse onto the floor but Lu Han catches you in his arms, almost dropping you anyways because your blood clouds his logical thought.

Once a vampire finds their soulmate, they’re immediately supposed to “bond” with them, which just means he would suck your blood for a little bit as a symbol of “possession” (according to his dad’s letter). But he still hasn’t told you what you are to him, because he’s afraid of how you’ll react, so the faintest whiff of your blood should send in him a craze.

Zitao, under his initial desire to rip your throat out, is surprised that Lu Han isn’t doing the same. That much blood loss and not even a peek of his fangs showed admirable self control.

It’s something you needed as a territory holder, which is exactly what he is.

“Vampire–” You cough, painfully craning your neck up to look at him. “Outside.” You point behind you weakly, and Lu Han gives Zitao one look before Zitao’s out of sight, tracking down whoever did this to you.

“Show me where you’re bleeding, baby.” He says, and though he desperately wants to start screaming and throwing things around (because hurting someone’s mate means war), he needs to stay calm for you. He carries you to his bed, setting you down despite your struggle because you don’t want to stain his sheets. “I don’t care about the blood–” He growls, stilling your movements with one glare. “Just, show me the wound.” He says gentler, breathing in carefully.

When you pull back your hood, the smell of your blood hits him tenfold, and he groans as he stumbles backward, covering his nose. Fearfully, you cover it back up, hiding the red stains on your nape.

“Let me get the first aid kit.” He says through gritted teeth, turning around and heading into his bathroom. As he’s fumbling through the mess in this lavatory, he angrily asks you why the hell you were out at night.

You don’t answer him, and he sighs exasperatedly when he returns, a bandanna wrapped around his face so he didn’t have to smell you as strongly. “Show me.” He orders, and you hesitantly pull back your hood again.

Lu Han’s nostrils flare, but not from the scent this time. Lu Han is livid.

Someone bit you.

A fucking vampire bit his mate before he could.

“ ** _Fuck._** ” He exclaims angrily, throwing open the kit’s lid and scrambling through it’s contents. He needs to get rid of all the blood in order to think properly, or else he might be reckless and ruin the month-long peace he’s tried to maintain in this city.

“Lu Han,” You gasp as he rubs the alcohol-dipped cotton swab a little too roughly around your wound. “It’s not what it looks like.” You shake your head for some reason, finding the need to explain it to him, but he cuts you off.

“I don’t want to hear it right now.” He whispers, and you have no choice but to shut up. Once he’s wiped away all of the surface blood, he finds that the two holes over your jugular are actually  ** _not_**  bite marks, but… “What happened?” He asks you, touching your cheek lightly so you’ll look at him.

You bite your lip, gandering away but he takes your chin and forces you to answer him.

“Well…”

 

 

 

 

_A Few Minutes Before…_

It’s not uncommon for you to sneak out of your house and visit your two best friends in the middle of the night, so how were you supposed to know tonight would be different? You never did it with warning (because the element of surprise has always been on your side, as the school reporter), so you were practically on your own until you were at their door.

You were almost there, practically a block away, when suddenly you heard voices behind you.

“I’m hungry,” It was a guy, and people walked about these streets at these times usually, so you weren’t too concerned until you heard, “She looks tasty, right?”

Afraid of their strange talk, you quickened your step and found that their voices were still the same distance away. “Yeah, she smells like…” A second voice drawls lazily, and when he finishes his sentence, it’s right in your ear. “Fear.”

Hands grab onto you and cover your mouth before you can even gasp, dragging you into the closest alleyway with inhuman speed. It all happens too fast, their motions blurs across your eyes, but you do see the little gadget coming at you before it sinks into your skin.

You cry out in pain, but the guy in the studded black coat muffles it with his palm, leaning down to look you in the eye. You feel your blood slipping out of you too fast, and your heart only pounds faster as you think you might die.

“Don’t worry,” The guy tells you, even sparing a small smile that shows off his dimple. “We won’t kill you.” The other guy, who’s holding the gadget against your neck and also your arms so you don’t hit him, looks at his companion in surprise.

“We aren’t?” He quickly removes his hand away from your neck, and you whimper as your blood starts to pour out and dampen your hoodie. Even after this, though, the other guy still covers your mouth and stares at you curiously.

“No.” He finally answers, releasing you and you fall onto the cement. “I have a feeling.”

 

 

 

 

“And they just left?” Lu Han utters in disbelief, finally able to remove the bandanna as he patched up your neck. He’s relieved it wasn’t anything more than a puncture, because the amount of blood on your clothes and skin suggested a worse situation.

“Yeah.” You croak, sitting up when he finally lets you. Now that you know you’re going to be fine because you’re with Lu Han, the tears you held back earlier suddenly fall. “I was so scared..!” You cry, and seeing your pain physically hurts Lu Han, so he pulls you into a tight hug and holds you close to him, wishing he could do more than wait for Zitao to come back with a report.

Speak of the devil, Lu Han thinks when the front door opens and his friend enters, looking fine now that he’s been away from your bleeding form. He still keeps a respectful distance away from you, though, and Lu Han appreciates that more than he can express with words.

“I tried to find out their destination, but they noticed me following them.” Zitao shakes his head uncomfortably. “Whoever they are, they must be nobles if they can sense me tailing.” You have no idea what a noble is or why that makes sense, but Lu Han nods against your shoulder, reaching up to rub your hair.

“Don’t worry, _____,” He says, pulling away and holding your face in his hands. “I won’t let them touch you ever again, I swear.” He says possessively, but you aren’t mad at him for it. Hearing him say this sends a wave of calm over you.

“I know.” The thing is, though, is you don’t know the extent of Lu Han’s words. He’s left you in the dark about his world, which is why you got into this mess. You don’t know that he’d literally  ** _kill_**  to protect you, to keep you within his reach.

He doesn’t know how he missed the new scent of vamps wandering into town, because now that he’s livid, he smells them as light as day.

“Holy fuck.” He utters, an epiphany hitting him in the gut. “Zitao, that smell..” He covers his nose and turns to his best friend. “Tell me that isn’t just my nose.” You shift uncomfortably, thinking they’re talking about you, but then Zitao’s eyes widen along with Lu Han’s.

“Shit.” He says back, and you have no idea what’s going on. “It’s Yixing and Sehun.” Lu Han asks him why he didn’t say anything when he came back, but Zitao claims he didn’t realize it. “It’s been so long, I had forgotten their sent!” He argues.

“Well fix your memory.” Lu Han snaps, and you’ve only seen him this mad when he saved you from those bullies. “Because you don’t forget the smell of your brothers.”

 

 

 

 

_(Yixing’s P.O.V)_

“Damn…” Sehun moans, sucking the red liquid out of the bag faster. “Why does she taste so good?” Yixing thinks his little brother may be going crazy, because sure, there are some better tasting humans based on their sense of morality. He settles on watching him worriedly until Sehun thrusts the bag at his chest and he takes a sip himself.

The second the blood touches his tongue, his fangs extend and his pupils blow out. “What the–” He forces himself to drop the bag, staring at it like it’s poison. “Sehun, don’t touch it anymore.” He demands when Sehun’s hand reaches out, and his younger flinches at his authoritative tone before baring his teeth at him.

“Why not?” He nearly growls, and Yixing finds himself feeling sorry. He hasn’t been feeding Sehun like he should have these past few weeks, and this is his first blood meal in a month.

But he can’t show weakness to his brother, especially since he holds a higher position. “Don’t you taste it?” He replies coldly, and Sehun makes an unpleasant face as he tries to focus. “That is the taste of someone who’s met their mate.”

“How am I supposed to know?” Sehun grumbles, but leaves the blood bag on the floor. “I haven’t mated yet.”

“Neither have I, but Junmyeon made us try his mate’s blood so we’d know who is off-limits, remember?” Yixing reminds him, and Sehun’s pupils slowly start to recede to its normal size as he does.

“Well fuck, Xing.” Sehun says. “Who’s mate did we just defile?”

Defile is an understatement. Anyone who’s mate has been touched in such a way would be after them soon, if not already. Vampire’s are known for their possessiveness, and in vamp culture, sharing mate blood is normally illegal and punishable by death.

Unless you’re Kim Junmyeon, a first class vampire strong enough to defeat an army of anything and owns a fair amount of territory across the states. If that’s the case, a little blood sharing can be overlooked, which is exactly what happened.

“Let’s not stay to find out.” Yixing decides, bending over to dispose of the blood bag, but it’s gone. “Where’s the–”

“You fucking bitch.” The both of them whip around at the sound of a new voice, neither of them realizing that someone apparated inside their den. “Do you think just because your my brothers that you can step into my territory and hurt my mate?!”

“Lu-ge!” Sehun exclaims in shock, and he recoils with hurt when he doesn’t return an ardent stare. The blood bag is clenched in Lu Han’s fist, making the contents spill out between his fingers and onto the floor.

“Look,” Yixing steps in the middle, knowing this could go very badly if he didn’t talk his way out of it. “We didn’t realize who we were dealing with. We didn’t even know you had a mate!”

“That’s because  ** _she_**  doesn’t know either!” Lu Han roars, and the room grows suddenly silent. “Why are you in my town? I rightfully own it. I’d tell you to ask the bastards I fought over it with, but they’re all dead, like you’ll be if you don’t give me a good reason why I shouldn’t kill you.”

“Lu-ge…” Sehun mutters fearfully, never having been on this end of his wrath. Before, when they were a lot younger, Lu Han would stick up for Sehun whenever the older brothers teased him, but after he abandoned them, Yixing took his place.

“Junmyeon asked me to come find you.” Yixing says calmly, and Lu Han turns his eyes on him.

“Is that all you’ve got?” He growls, and his fangs finally push past his lips angrily.

“YiFan is missing, Lu Han.” Yixing says a little more forcefully, and Lu Han scoffs, dropping the blood bag onto the floor.

“So was I, until you found me.” He takes a step closer, but Yixing stands his ground.

“I mean, he’s  ** _missing_**. Junmyeon thinks the werewolves took him.” Lu Han’s about to take another step closer, but then his nose wrinkles in disgust and judgement at Yixing’s words.

“You think the  ** _wolves_**  took YiFan?” He repeats. “That’s seriously insulting our brother.” Then, more bitterly, he adds, “This is why I ran away. This is why Zitao ran away. Our whole family is insane.”

“The werewolves have teamed up with the warlocks, Lu Han. There’s more to this kidnapping than we can wrap our heads around.” Sehun says urgently, and Yixing gives him a pointed look that shuts him up. He wasn’t supposed to share that until they knew Lu Han was on their side.

To his credit, Lu Han calms down enough for his fangs retract. “Really?” He quips, and he clicks his tongue. “Well, what do you need me for? I’m the weakest out of all of you suckers, no pun intended.”

“I don’t know.” Yixing shrugs, which makes Lu Han glare at him again. “Junmyeon only told us that much.”

“Probably to make sure I come home.” Lu Han muses, vexed. “I still don’t forgive you for touching my fucking mate.” He adds after a moment, and Sehun’s shoulders slump behind Yixing.

“I don’t expect you to. It was solely our fault.” Yixing at least has the decency to own up to his mistake, and he is Lu Han’s brother. Can he make an exception and forgive them? “How did you find us anyways?” He asks after a tense silence.

“Zitao pin pointed where you might be heading after you shooed him away.” Lu Han replies calmly, seeming to finally breathe normally again. Yixing no longer feels blood lust eluding off of him and relaxes considerably. “So it was mostly luck, to be honest.”

“Do you think..?” Sehun starts, meeting Lu Han’s eye nervously. “Could we apologize?” For a second, neither Lu Han or Yixing understand Sehun’s question, but when it clicks in Lu Han’s head that he meant apologize to  ** _you_** , he clenches his jaw to contemplate.

They’re his fucking brothers, he knows they wouldn’t purposely do him harm (unless he deserved it). And Sehun is his precious younger sibling, to whom he would kill for if need be.

With a heavy sigh, Lu Han forgives them. Barely. “Let me see if she’s okay with that. You sort of scared her pants off.” Before Lu Han aparated out of the room, he caught the guilty look flash across Yixing’s face.

In seconds, he’s standing in his bedroom again and you’re still laying on his bed. “_____.” He says your name to gain your attention and you sit up attentively. “They want to apologize to you.” He watches you bite your lip anxiously.

“Do they really?” You ask softly.

“I wouldn’t let them near you ever again if I they didn’t.” He tells you earnestly, walking over to you in three strides.

“Then…” You suck in a deep breath. “Let me see them.” With a nod, Lu Han takes your hand gently and pulls you to stand up with him.

“This may feel a little weird.” He warns you, and then you’re not in his house anymore, but in a different building entirely. You aren’t sure how it happened, but somehow Lu Han had teleported the both of you somewhere else.

To where the vampires are.

You don’t hear them or see them at first, but instead  ** _feel_**  their presence, in a sort of eerie way. Lu Han’s gazing behind you, so you turn your head over your shoulder and instinctively cover your jugular with your hand.

“Hi.” You mumble awkwardly, unsure of how to react under their leveling stares. The younger looking one frowns at you and bows his head. You don’t understand at first, but then the older one with him bows also, and you realize that they’re apologizing.

The human part of you wants to say that it’s no big deal, but it is a big deal, so you keep your mouth shut other than saying, “You don’t have to do it that long.”

You notice that Lu Han’s holding onto your arms tightly, and at first you think it’s supposed to be reassuring you that you’re safe – but when the two vampires step closer and his grip tightens, you realize it’s because he’s getting ready to bring you back.

“You have our deepest, most sincere apologies. We had no idea you were Lu Han’s mate.” The older says, and you flush at the intimate term.

“ _‘Mate’_?” You repeat, and you can feel the anger in Lu Han’s expression behind you. “Is that what you guys call people who are really close?”

“Sort of.” The older one smiles at you, baring his very human dimple and his very nonhuman fangs. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“I told you she doesn’t know anything yet.” Lu Han growls from behind you. Literally, it sounded like a growl to you.

“Lu Han…” You say suspiciously, not entirely glancing at him. Your eyes were trained on the vampires in front of you. For some reason, even though you could tell they were sincere in their apology, you can’t help but feel in danger around them.

Maybe it’s an instinct.

“Later.” He promises in your ear, and you nod. You’ll hold him to that. “Right now, I have to go somewhere with them, and I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.” He tells you, and you finally tear your gaze away from the two men and turn to look at your boyfriend.

“You’re leaving?” You ask nervously. “What about Zitao?”

“No. He’s staying to make sure you’re safe.” Lu Han says softly, but to you the three of you. It almost sounded like a demand.

“Are you going with them?” You motion to the men watching you. “Didn’t they want to hurt us?” Lu Han immediately shakes his head, which surprises you.

“No, no they didn’t. They’re my brothers, _____.” Your eyes widen in surprise and you look back at the vampires. They smile at you. “Don’t stay out too late. Go home right after school is out. Let Zitao walk you home everyday.” He tells you, warns you, reminding you to lock your doors and keep your windows shut.

“Okay, okay,” You say, tired of his nagging. “I’ll be careful.” He looks you in the eye sadly.

“Good.” He finally says, seeming satisfied. “I’ll be back.” He repeats, and then you’re in your bedroom.

“How’d–”

Your sentence is cut off by Lu Han’s lips, and it catches you off guard so much that you don’t have time to keep your heart rate in check. Usually when things surprise you, you manage to keep it slow for Zitao and Lu Han’s sake’s, but this is a whole different story.

Your racing heart beat makes Lu Han groan and push into you a little closer before he pulls himself away, breathing heavily. His fangs peek out from beneath his lips and he licks them away.

“Stay safe.” He whispers, squeezing your hand one last time before disappearing before your very eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Do you guys want a second part? c:


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